This was my second Heart of Travel trip, and honestly, I'm counting down the days and weeks to my next two (or three!). I am continually astounded by the thoughtfulness, pitch-perfect curation, and expertise, kindness, and professionalism of everyone I've encountered with HoT. I felt so welcome and secure in Ecuador. As a female who travels alone frequently, I felt super-empowered by the suggestions of my guides Gustavo, Charlie, and Chiva. I loved so many of the restaurants we went to, and I especially loved seeing ALL THE WILDLIFE in the Galapagos! The snorkeling excursions, the nature walks, and seeing Quito up close and personal through the eyes of Gustavo (a native Ecudaorian) was inspiring, and being there during the start of their Holy Week was an unexpected bonus. Those churches were INCREDIBLE, and honestly rivaled (and even bested!) some of the most ornate cathedrals I've seen in Europe. I'm still thinking about the rainbow fish and BABY SHARKS we saw off Isabela island, and my most favorite -- ALL THE PENGUINS. We even got to see a baby penguin who was molting and SO FLUFFY. The best part of these trips is reconnecting with friends I've met on previous trips. Chelsea and the HoT team really go SO FAR out of their way to make you feel included, heard, listened to, valued and like my feedback and opinions matter. I think traveling as a part of a group of diverse travelers, some of for whom this was their first trip, and others who have already hit all seven continents is a really, really unique experience and my favorite part of the trip was our PRIVATE BEACH we had (unexpectedly!) where the entire tour group, including all the guides, got in the water and laughed and told stories and really enjoyed each others' company in the late morning toward the end of our trip. I never, ever thought that I'd fall so in love with Latin America, and feel confident enough to be able to explore on my own and spend several days speaking only Spanish. I'm so happy and grateful for this trip. The only thing we need now is a punch card so that we can get buy 9 get one free on these trips because I'm sure I'll be doing much more than the next three I have planned! :)